It has been long recognized that the value of agricultural products such as cereal grains and the like are affected by the quality of their inherent constituent components. Examples of such agricultural products are wheat, corn, rye, oats, barley, rice, soybeans, amaranth, triticale, grasses and forage materials. Cereal grains with desirable protein, oil, starch, fiber and moisture content and desirable levels of carbohydrates and other constituents can command a premium price. Favorable markets for these grains and their processed commodities have, therefore, created the need for knowing content and also various other physical characteristics such as hardness.
To meet market expectations, numerous analysis systems have been developed. Some of these analysis systems are installed within equipment such as a combine harvester, grain elevator or other grain processing equipment for determining percentage concentration of constituents in a flowing stream of grain while the grain is harvested, stored or processed.
The present invention provides a grain sample sensing system which can be used by itself for analyzing constituent components of grain or in conjunction with analysis systems incorporated within combine harvesters, grain elevators, or other grain processing equipment. When used in conjunction with such equipment, the grain sample sensing system can be used to calibrate analysis systems already contained within or for later installation in the equipment. The grain sample sensing system can also be used to merely verify the accuracy of the analysis systems. The present invention system includes a container for holding grain. A moveable member is positioned within the container for moving the grain within the container in a manner which simulates a flow of grain. A probe is positioned proximate to the moving grain for analyzing the moving grain.
In preferred embodiments, the container is stationary and has a round side wall. The moveable member rotates within the container to move the grain in a circular manner inside the container. The moveable member is driven by a variable speed motor which allows the rotational speed of the moveable member to be varied. The probe analyzes the moving grain in real time where different constituent components of the moving grain are measured at the same moment of time from the same fraction of grain. A thermocouple is also positioned within the container for sensing grain temperature. The container is covered by a lid which includes a grain loading door for loading the container with grain. The container also includes a grain discharge door on a lower surface of the container to allow grain to be removed from the container.
The present invention grain sample sensing system is suitable for calibrating analysis systems already contained within or for later installation in grain processing equipment because the rotation of the grain within the container simulates the flow of grain in a chute or conduit of such equipment. As a result, the present invention system makes analysis readings under approximately the same conditions of such equipment.
The present invention also provides a constituent sensing system for analyzing constituent components of a flowable product. The constituent sensing system includes a container for holding the flowable product. A moveable member is positioned within the container for moving the flowable product within the container in a manner which simulates a flow of the flowable product. A probe is positioned proximate to the moving flowable product for analyzing the moving flowable product.